Going into last week’s draft one thing was clear, the Dolphins offense needed a serious jolt of energy, and from the looks of it the organization felt the same way.  The team’s first four picks were offensive players and three out of those four were skill players.  Surprisingly though none of the six players the Dolphins will find himself under center, but they sure did go a long way in helping the current signal caller.

            Their first pick is one that is tough to argue, because many draft experts rated Mike Pouncey, the best offensive lineman in the draft.  His combination of athleticism and power provide a bolt of energy on the offensive line that was greatly needed last year.  Not to mention that Sporano is an offensive line coach at heart and Pouncey’s older brother was a pro bowl player as a rookie for Pittsburgh last year.  Some people may have wanted Mark Ingram in that spot, but I ask you this, was Mark Ingram running anywhere behind that spotty offensive line last year?  Doubt it.

            Miami picked up two perfect compliment players for them in the middle rounds with running back Daniel Thomas out of Kansas St. and wide receiver Edmond Gates out of Abilene Christian.  Gates is a wide out that can flat out fly.  He’s a speedy deep ball threat, and he isn’t a 9^th pick in the draft all word kick returner, ala “The Great Ted Ginn.”  Gates could help stretch the field and open up coverage for the Dolphins and dare I say it, actually create big plays.  Dynamic down field type plays have been more rare from the Dolphins over the past ten years then a Miami Heat game winning jump shot in the final seconds.

            Daniel Thomas is a tough, physical down field type runner who brings a hard noised type mentality to a team that desperately tries to say they will out physical any opponent.  He’s not the fastest back in the world and wont bust open 60-yard runs.  Here’s the biggest key with the Thomas pick though, and it lies within the 2012 Madden cover.  Peyton Hillis had an all-pro caliber season last year while running in Brian Dabol’s offense in Cleveland.  So now that Dabol has found a new home in South Florida the Dolphins hope to have added their own Peyton Hillis in Thomas.

            Lets keep things in perspective this team is still a long way away from being a high caliber competitor in the AFC.  If ever the lockout does come to an end for longer then 13 hours the Dolphins will have to be very aggressive in free agency.  Keeping it real though the Miami is still a long way away from hoisting the Lombardi trophy anytime soon but at least they’ve taken a step in the right direction. 

            Going into last week’s draft one thing was clear, the Dolphins offense needed a serious jolt of energy, and from the looks of it the organization felt the same way.  The team’s first four picks were offensive players and three out of those four were skill players.  Surprisingly though none of the six players the Dolphins will find himself under center, but they sure did go a long way in helping the current signal caller.

            Their first pick is one that is tough to argue, because many draft experts rated Mike Pouncey, the best offensive lineman in the draft.  His combination of athleticism and power provide a bolt of energy on the offensive line that was greatly needed last year.  Not to mention that Sporano is an offensive line coach at heart and Pouncey’s older brother was a pro bowl player as a rookie for Pittsburgh last year.  Some people may have wanted Mark Ingram in that spot, but I ask you this, was Mark Ingram running anywhere behind that spotty offensive line last year?  Doubt it.

            Miami picked up two perfect compliment players for them in the middle rounds with running back Daniel Thomas out of Kansas St. and wide receiver Edmond Gates out of Abilene Christian.  Gates is a wide out that can flat out fly.  He’s a speedy deep ball threat, and he isn’t a 9^th pick in the draft all word kick returner, ala “The Great Ted Ginn.”  Gates could help stretch the field and open up coverage for the Dolphins and dare I say it, actually create big plays.  Dynamic down field type plays have been more rare from the Dolphins over the past ten years then a Miami Heat game winning jump shot in the final seconds.

            Daniel Thomas is a tough, physical down field type runner who brings a hard noised type mentality to a team that desperately tries to say they will out physical any opponent.  He’s not the fastest back in the world and wont bust open 60-yard runs.  Here’s the biggest key with the Thomas pick though, and it lies within the 2012 Madden cover.  Peyton Hillis had an all-pro caliber season last year while running in Brian Dabol’s offense in Cleveland.  So now that Dabol has found a new home in South Florida the Dolphins hope to have added their own Peyton Hillis in Thomas.

            Lets keep things in perspective this team is still a long way away from being a high caliber competitor in the AFC.  If ever the lockout does come to an end for longer then 13 hours the Dolphins will have to be very aggressive in free agency.  Keeping it real though the Miami is still a long way away from hoisting the Lombardi trophy anytime soon but at least they’ve taken a step in the right direction.

I wake up on this past Saturday morning and its just one of those feelings that it’s going to be a good day.  The family is over making Italian meat pies, which is a tradition in my family.  I’m getting ready for a rare weekend off from work and a trip to Atlantic City, and then my phone vibrates and I see a text message saying, “Brandon Marshall stabbed by wife, he’s in the hospital.”  All of a sudden I wanted to regurgitate those meat pies and bet half the bank account on black in disgust.  Was I shocked?  I’d have to be naïve to be shocked that often arrested Brandon Marshall was caught in another sticky situation.

            Late Friday night Marshall was taken to the hospital after reportedly his wife Michi Nogami Marshall, stabbed him in the stomach with a Kitchen knife.  People have speculated that she attacked the Dolphins high paid wide receiver in self-defense.  The wide out was released from the hospital on Saturday and thankfully is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for the start of training camp.  That’s if there is training camp of course.  Side note its day 45 of that 9 billion dollar industry lock out.

            First off let me just state that the fact there is no serious injury to Marshall and that he is going to make a full recovery is blessing for him.  It would be wrong to not address the fact that he is very lucky that he avoided something more serious.  With that being said If any Dolphin fan was shocked to see Marshall’s name on a police report Saturday morning then they literally have their heads in the South Beach sand.  Marshall has more arrests on his rap sheet then he does touchdowns in a Dolphin uniform, and sadly that’s still something you can blame Dan Henning for.  People believed that Marshall was a new man in Miami.  He finally got his money and got out of Denver and was happy.  He bought a four million dollar house in South Florida and supposedly had found the love his life, the same “love of his life” that stuck a knife in his stomach.  If that’s what love is all about I think ill gladly stay single.

            Now who knows what will happen to Marshall when the league figures out its own problems.  It’s a good chance the Dolphins will lose him to a suspension for possibly violating the leagues personal conduct policy, if the investigation does say Marshall attacked his wife before she stabbed him.  Here’s the real deal though if Marshall is the player this season that we all want him to be, no Dolphin will care about this latest incident. You think any Steeler fan will give back any of the Super Bowls Ben Roethlisberger won them?  Fat chance.  If Marshall performs on the field it is the easiest way to get the fans forgiveness.  Now if Marshall drops big passes and doesn’t play like the big time wide receiver he’s suppose to be, then Dolphin fans will drive him to the courthouse.

1. If you don’t believe in Aaron Rodgers yet, you need to get your head examined.  He had plenty of critics before the postseason started, and has shut them all up.  Rodgers is by far the MVP of the playoffs.  He is playing in a different stratosphere right now and if the Packers go to Dallas it will be because of Rodgers.

2.  Turnovers are the most important stat in football.  Teams that won the turnover battle this weekend were 3-1.  The Steelers and Ravens combined for 31 points off turnovers on Saturday, and it was a Joe Flacco interception and Ray Rice fumble in the second half that helped bury the Ravens.  In Atlanta the Falcons helped the embarrassment by turning the ball over four times.  Tom Brady hadn’t thrown an interception in three months, but his opening drive interception yesterday gave the Jets momentum they never relinquished.  Hold on to the ball and you’ll most likely be going to Dallas.

3.  Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan have a lot to prove in 2011.  The two young guns are going into their fourth year in the league and need to have big years to prove their worth.  I’m not talking about piling up stats.  Ryan, or “Matty Ice” is now 0-2 in the playoffs including Saturdays humiliating defeat in the Georgia Dome, a place where it was believed he doesn’t lose.  Flacco on the other hand has won four playoff games as a starting quarterback on the road, but has never had a defining moment in any of those games.  Some of the games he’s barely even passed the ball, and on Saturday with the ball at the fifty-yard line and a minute and a half to go down by seven, Flacco’s Ravens lost yards.  Lots to prove for these two in 2011.

4.  Besides Aaron Rodgers Mark Sanchez is the best young quarterback in the league.  All he does is win.  With a win on Sunday he will become the all time leader in wins on the road in the playoffs as a starting quarterback. All time! It’s only his second year.  It may not always be pretty and he throws a lot of head shaking passes, but the kid is a flat out winner.

5.  The Patriots are the 2001-2008 Yankees.  In 2001 the Yankees dynasty ended in Arizona.  This then led to a roster changing alteration in which many of their core players were gone.  Yes they still had some cogs of the dynasty in Jeter, Andy, Rivera and Posada, but the dynasty done.  In February of 2008 the Patriots dynasty also ended in Arizona against the Giants, and now they’ve had the roster alteration like the Yankees had, even though they still have the coach and the quarterback.  They also haven’t won a playoff game since.  That slump breaking title came for the Yankees in 09; will the Patriots break their slump.

6.  The Dolphins beat the Packers, Jets and should of beat the Steelers.  How did any of that happen?  I had to have a Dolphins comment in here somewhere.

7.  The league is changing.  Look at some of the coaches hired last week.  With the names like Cowher and Gruden available, teams decided to go with lesser-known guys.  Are teams trying to find the next Mike Tomlin or Rex Ryan?

8.  The Eagles continue to try and fix a knife wound with a band-aid.  With the firing of Sean McDermott, the Eagles have once again placed the blame on someone else rather then their fearless leader.  They did it with T.O., and then again with McNabb.  Now they fire McDermott who don’t get me wrong, didn’t help his case too much over the past two years.  The one thing constant here is the czar of football, or at least he thinks he is, Mr. Andrew Walter Reid.  You can connect the rest of the dots.

9.  Chicago still can’t get any respect.  Critics are still questioning the strength of the Bears after a divisional round win over the under .500 Seahawks.  They beat Seattle, so what, they might as well have had a second bye week.  That’s what is being said about the Bears.  Mind you this team beat the Packers, Jets, and Eagles during the season, and is now in the NFC Championship game, and still most of the world will be riding the Green Bay bandwagon.  Where’s the love for the Bears???

10.  The Jets really can’t go to the Super Bowl.  Right??

It’s the same old song and dance for Dolphin fans, an underachieving team that cant win the games they need to win.  This story has been told over and over again in South Florida over the past ten years, and after yesterdays debacle its time to add another chapter to this pathetic stale.  Yesterday’s pitiful offensive performance pretty much put an end to the Dolphins playoff hopes, which were slim when the day started to begin with, but we’ve seen this before from the Dolphins, we’ve seen this team choke in the past.  The only thing different is the players and coaches but Dolphin fans know the same agonizing pain.

 Remember 2002?  The Dolphins we’re 9-5 and in control of the AFC East with two remaining games on the schedule.  A division title was expected and at the absolute worst a wild card birth. First up was a Saturday afternoon game in Minnesota, which was Chris Carter’s return to the Metrodome.  Yes, remember Chris Carter was a Dolphin for a half second.  The Dolphins lost to the lowly Vikings 9-6 in a game that may have set offensive football back 50 years.  Next was the season finale in Foxboro against the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots.  Miami had leads of 21-7 and 24-13, but still managed to blow both leads, the division, and a playoff spot.

 Next was 2003.  The Dolphins we’re 8-4 coming off an impressive thanksgiving dismantling of the Cowboys.  After ten days off the Dolphins had another date in Foxboro with the Patriots who had already defeated the Dolphins on a Tom Brady touchdown bomb in overtime in Miami earlier in the year.  The weather was cold and the division was on the line once again, and what’s the lasting memory from that day?  Teddy Bruschi walking into the end zone after an interception of Jay Fielder sealing the Patriots 12-0 shutout and propelled fans to fill the sky with snow. After that game the Patriots went on to win the division and later the biggest game of all in February.  Miami did manage to win ten games, but missed the playoffs largely in part to that evening in New England.

 On to 2009.  The Dolphins had rallied to a 7-6 record after losing the first three games of the season.  Their playoff chances rested on three must win games to end the season.  First came an overtime loss in Tennessee, followed by another loss to the Texans at home, and finally a season ending loss to the Steelers.  Now yes their playoff hopes weren’t exactly set in stone, but they we’re still three losses in three must win games.

 Arguably every game the Dolphins lost this year has been one of those must win or season changing wins.  This team could of easily beaten Pittsburgh and New York at home, but came up short each time.  They we’re blown out by Baltimore and New England and then there was yesterdays turnover filled debacle against Cleveland.  All these games have defined this Dolphin team.  That definition is, same old Dolphins.

There will be a new “Chad” under center in Miami this week.  Tony Sporano announced today that Chad Pennington would replace Chad Henne at quarterback this week as the Titans come to Sun Life Stadium.  This is the first major shake up to hit the Dolphins this season, and Sporano hopes that it will be enough to save the Dolphins mediocre first half.  A first half, which has included, no wins at home, four AFC losses including the two divisional opponents ahead of them, special teams disasters, and a predictable offense.  So how this translates into supposedly the quarterback of the future losing his job, is mind-boggling.

Chad Henne has started twenty-one games under center for the Dolphins.  He’s still a baby in NFL quarterback standards, and the benching of him in my mind is completely unwarranted.  Yes, Chad Pennington may be a better quarterback at the moment then Chad Henne is, but not enough to turn the Dolphins into an offensive juggernaut and a member of the AFC elite.  He’s a smart quarterback who led the Dolphins during their magical turnaround season in 2008, even though Ronnie Brown and the wildcat, which took the ball out of Pennington’s hands, propelled that season.  Now Pennington is back under center and the wildcat has been put to sleep.

The Dolphins loss on Sunday showed that reviving the magic of the 2008 season is not exactly what the Dolphins need to compete with the likes of Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and their two AFC East rivals.  Is Chad Pennington all of a sudden inspiring Dan Henning to become some daring offensive coordinator?  No way.  Henning, who didn’t allow Henne to play the position by stretching the ball down the field, is one of the reasons why he’s been relegated back to the bench.  Pennington is exactly the quarterback Henning wants, a smart conservative quarterback who plays not to lose rather then to win.  So don’t expect the Dolphins offense to all of a sudden start lighting up the sky with footballs.  Looks like Brandon Marshall’s inquiry into the NBA may come sooner then expected, because his talents certainly haven’t and will continue not to be utilized. 

When it comes to Chad Henne and his future with the team, well things are a bit murky now.  What happens if Pennington somehow revives this season? Does this mean that the Dolphins will give him a long-term contract and we start to think of Chad Henne as the next John Beck?  What if Pennington struggles?  Sporano puts Henne back in and the quarterback carousel kicks into high gear?  They really wouldn’t play Tyler Thigpen would they?  AAAAHHHHHH

Ok lets calm down for a second here.  Here are the facts.  Pennington is the starter for now.  Henne is the back up for now but according to Sporano the team still has faith in him.  In my opinion Henne’s future with the Dolphins is most certainly not as guaranteed as it once was.  The Giants didn’t give up with Eli Manning.  The Jets aren’t giving up on Mark Sanchez.  Alex Smith even got four years to prove himself in San Francisco.  Now yes he is a bust, but at least he was given a shot.  Chad Henne’s chance to be “The Guy” in Miami isn’t exactly over, but now Dolphin fans will all of a sudden pay close attention to Jake Locker’s progress in college.

After another dismal performance against a quality opponent, the most “important” story coming out of the Dolphins’ locker room is of course Channing Crowder.  He accused Le’Ron McClain of spitting on him during the second half of their game yesterday in Baltimore.  I have no idea if McClain pulled a Robbie Alomar on him or not, but one thing is for sure.  I’m sick of Channing Crowder.  His mouth, his act, his nagging miniscule injuries, and below average play have gotten old.

The six-year Dolphin veteran has been a bust since he was groomed to be the replacement for Zach Thomas as the leader in the middle of the Dolphin defense.  To put him and Thomas in the same realm of discussion is unfair to Zach.  Crowder has never had 100 tackles in a season, and the past four seasons he’s had problems staying on the field including this year where he missed the first four games.  He’s never had 100 tackles in a season, and he has 2.5 career sacks and 1 interception.  Sacks and interceptions are considered game changing plays on defense and he has a total of 3.5 game changing plays.  That’s less then the amount of people he’s verbally spat with.

Last off-season he and Jets coach Rex Ryan publicly carried on a war of words.  Ryan started “Who is Channing Crowder anyway?”  Dolphin fans became irate by this and if they didn’t hate him already, Rex Ryan became public enemy number one in South Beach.  Guess what though Dolphin fans, he was right.  Who on earth is Channing Crowder?  The only reason why people around the league know him is because of his propensity to talk, talk, and talk.  Yes former Dolphin Joey Porter is the poster boy when it comes to running his mouth, but he was one of the best sack specialists of the decade, and did manage to make a Pro Bowl while in Miami.  Only way Crowder is near a pro bowl is if he’s accidentally in Hawaii come February.

It is tough for me to believe that the Dolphins as an organization aren’t getting fed up with Crowder’s poor play and antics.  They gave Karlos Dansby the highest contract ever for a linebacker in the off season to take over as their top inside linebacker, and to be the defensive leader, which were two roles that were once expected from Crowder.  Off the field a team brought up in the Bill Parcells school of football isn’t exactly against the trash talking style Crowder carries, but they also expect a player to walk the walk before they talk the talk.  We’re sick of the talking and sick of waiting for the walking.  Now Crowder can just walk straight on out the door and we’ll slam it shut behind him.

Dolphin fans beware Randy Moss is on the market, and hopefully he stays away from South Florida.  Randy Moss was officially put on waivers by the Vikings yesterday afternoon and teams have until 4:00pm today to decide if they want to claim the future hall of famer.  It has been reported by a number of media outlets that the Dolphins are showing interest in possibly claiming him. YIKES!

Sure Moss is one of the most talented receivers to ever strap on a helmet.  He has all the tools an elite receiver wants, blazing speed, incredible leaping ability, and suction cup hands.  When on the field he draws more attention then that hot blonde sitting at the bar.  Finally Moss is still arguably considered a top receiver in this league even though he is on the northern side of 30.  Now why would you say no to a guy like that?  How could anyone give up on attributes like that?  Oh yea I forgot to mention, Moss is crazy and gives you a bigger head ache then a two year old teething.

Moss has managed to get himself kicked off of not one but two teams in the past month.  The Patriots and their czar of football got fed up with Moss and sent him to Minnesota for a third round pick.  Less then a month later Viking coach Brad Childress, whose seat gets hotter and hotter by the minute, waived Moss, which means they in essence wasted a third round pick.  That’s two organizations giving up on Moss in less then a month.  Scared yet.

The Dolphins sure could use Randy Moss’s talents there’s no arguing that.  Putting him and Brandon Marshall on the field is a match up nightmare for defenses.  Marshall already draws double teams regularly, so adding Moss to the equation could make cornerbacks heads spin.  This is only analyzing the equation on a pure talent and ability equations, which of course is the most attractive part of the equation to most fans.

Moving on to the most important part of this scenario is, Randy Moss the man and the Dolphins the organization.  Moss was the first of the “diva” receivers to infiltrate the league, and lets not forget Brandon Marshall is definitely part of that club even though he’s toed the line so far in Miami.  Moss is known for quitting on routes, games and teams in general through out his career.  If Moss isn’t happy, Moss won’t play, it’s that simple.  If the Dolphins were to claim Moss it would go against everything Tony Sporano preaches what the Dolphins are about.  He talks on and on about hard work and complete 100% effort.  Unless Moss is happy don’t expect any of that.

Plus is it even worth it to get Moss?  The Dolphins are 4-3 in a brutal division, and 4-4 is staring them straight in the face with a game in Baltimore coming up on Sunday.  The Patriots and Jets both are ahead of the Dolphins in the division, and Miami still have to travel to both Foxboro and The Meadowlands this season.  The possible hole the Dolphins have dug themselves may not be something worth bringing in Randy Moss to save, and he’s probably not the right guy to save it anyway.

Scheme wise it’s a tough fit for Moss.  The Dolphins are a run first football team, and they make no bones about that.  Chad Henne is still a developing quarterback who the Dolphins have still yet to fully take off the handcuffs.  They have the dynamic receiver in Marshall but have yet to fully utilize him down field and within the red zone, so why all of a sudden would they change their philosophy.  Their not the dink and dunk Chad Pennington Jets offense, but their not exactly the Air Correal Chargers either.  Moss is best utilized down the field and within the red zone, which in short doesn’t work for the Dolphins.

Many fans in Miami may not agree with my stand to keep Moss out of south beach, but they are probably most of the Dolphin fans who we’re up in arms when the Dolphins selected Jake Long first overall in 2008.  Moss is the flashy choice, he’s that brand new Ferrari or Mercedes, but the Dolphins don’t need flashy, they need wins.

Its been a long three weeks for fans in South Florida. Dwayne Wade’s hurt already, the Hurricanes we’re treated to a Seminole beating by their in state rivals, and the Panthers…..well lets not get crazy, no one cares about hockey in south beach. The most notable disaster the past three weeks has been South Florida’s favorite team, the Dolphins. Two straight losses to division rivals, including an embarrassing performance at home, including on national television against the Patriots, have the Dolphins drowning in the AFC East Sea.

After hitting their bye week the Dolphins return to the field this week in Green Bay against a topsy turvy Packer team that has yet to live up to their super bowl expectations. Part of the reason why the Packers have yet to hit their stride is due to the injury bug. This week starting linebacker Nick Barnett and dynamic tight end Jermichael Finley joined running back Ryan Grant on season ending injury reserve, and sack master A.J. Hawk is not expected to play this week either. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers was a question mark after suffering a concussion last week in the loss to the Redskins, but he is expected to play. If Rodgers for some reason cant go, untested back up Matt Flynn will take the snaps for Green Bay, which means Christmas comes early for Dolphins fans.

Even with the Packers injury problem the Dolphins have plenty of their own issues that kept them busy during the bye week. Most Notably had to be the special teams, which was “The Perfect Storm” just minus George Clooney. Two blocked punts and a blocked field goal on national television none the less cost a coach his job and forced the Dolphins to go back to the basics.

One of the most common love to hate players in Miami came to the fore front this week once again. Chad Henne had to hear the chirps from fans and the media that he is not the quarterback of the future and another Dolphin quarterback mistake ever since that guy Dan who sits next to Shannon and Boomer at CBS. Guess what Dolphin fans, just in case you’ve forgotten, Chad Henne is only in his SECOND year, and is playing arguably the toughest position in all of sports. Hence why only once in 44 years a quarterback has won a super bowl in his second year as a starter (Big Ben with the Steelers in 2005). Yes Henne has made some bone head throws and hasn’t really began to stretch the field with Brandon Marshall nearly as much as any Dolphin fan would like, but other the the Patriots game Henne has been productive enough for the Dolphins to win this year.

Looking at this game the most interesting element should be Aaron Rodgers against the Dolphins young secondary. Brandon Marshall stated on The NFL Today last week the Vontae Davis is the best cornerback in football. Now that may be a little out of the box, but its not to crazy. Vontae is off to a tremendous start to the 2010 campaign, and look for him to be lined up against the speedy Greg Jennings. Will Aaron Rodgers be able to exploit other parts of the Dolphins secondary and have a big day? That’s the biggest question mark. Sean Smith who most likely will be on Donald Driver duty will have to have a solid game to ensure a Dolphins victory, and I’ve loved Yeremiah Bell for years but he must sure up his tackling in the back end to stop the big plays.

The Dolphins also must establish the run on Sunday. When is the Dolphins offense most productive? When their running the football. Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown must have 20-30 touches in this game, allowing the Dolphins to win the time of possession battle and most importantly keep Aaron Rodgers off the field.

Prediction:

My heart wants to pick the Dolphins but I just cant do it. The Packers back at home coming off a terrible loss in the nation’s capital are going to be a hungry group of cheese heads. Aaron Rodgers will have a solid day against the Dolphins secondary, but look for the Dolphins to hang tough if they run the ball successfully. Packers 30 Dolphins 20.

Andy Reid has been kidnapped.   Don’t worry though there will be a slightly large man dressed in black on your sidelines in Jacksonville on Sunday.  Its just not the same old coach we’re used to.  The same old coach who repeatedly has the same game plane over and over and over.  The same guy who never seems to listen to the pulse of the city.  Well Tuesday he shocked us all by saying Michael Vick will start at quarterback on Sunday.  This of course was after he said not once not twice but three times that Kevin Kolb will remain his starter. 

Guess what Andy Reid finally did something many eagle fans wanted but not necessarily whats best for the birds in the Delaware Valley nest.  When the Eagles sent Donovan McNabb to the Redskins in April, it was because it was time to hand over the team to Kevin Kolb, and the organization was behind Kevin Kolb.  Well that lasted long.  Now this is Michael Vick’s team, and it can’t be Kevin Kolb’s team for the rest of the season, and maybe for years to come.  Sure Mike Vick electrified everyone in Philadelphia on Sunday, there’s no doubting that, but are the Eagles going to the Super Bowl this season?  I wouldn’t bet on it.  Is Michael Vick the Eagles long time solution?  Probably not.  So why stunt Kevin Kolb’s growth as a quarterback for one season of Michael Vick excitement where you may only squeak out an 8-8 record at best?  Id like to ask Andy Reid these questions, but him an Bill Belichick have had a contest for years of “who can give you the least.”  The guy in New England has the edge. 

Well I guess Andy Reid hasn’t been kidnapped, he’s still making the head scratching decisions that Eagle fans have come to know and not really love over the past thirteen years at the helm.  Yes were gonna all get a kick watching Vick make the two or three plays that will knock your socks off.  Except the only team that can win a championship in Philadelphia anytime soon happens to play across the street from the Linc, and they have they of course have the Yankees to deal with.

Sound the alarm the sky is falling!! That’s pretty much the reaction you get after week one in the NFL. The sky is falling in Minnesota, and its not doing too well in Miami either. Both of these teams hope to address their football horizons in the Metrodome on Sunday afternoon. Minnesota comes in after a dismal performance in an opening night loss to the Saints. While the Dolphins come off a non-impressive win in Buffalo in which many Dolphin fans spent the afternoon pulling the hair from their head. Yes, they did win the game but the offense continued to look as if they we’re stuck in the 50′s. Sure Miami is all about the ground in pound, that’s something that will not change but the addition of Brandon Marshall was suppose to make this offense dynamic and explosive. What did Dolphin fans get Sunday afternoon? Marshall eight catches for 51 yards. That’s less then eight yards per reception, not exactly “explosive.” Now it’d be negligent of me not to acknowledge the running game and defense which unleashed a whole new bag of tricks under coordinator Mike Nolan, and will have to be in tip top shape to control old man Favre on Sunday afternoon. Most importantly though for Miami is Chad Henne, and offensive coordinator Dan Henning. Henning has to let Henne play quarterback, and then Henne has to go out and do so. The vikings notoriously are the toughest run defense in football, you don’t run on the Vikings, it just doesn’t happen. When these two teams last met in 2006 the Dolphins only managed 13 yards rushing, and Jason Taylor scored more points then the offense. Sorry to bring this up again Dolphin fans but if you haven’t noticed Taylor is now a member of “The Greatest Team in the History of Sports” the New York Jets. Side note the Jets are 0-1.

So that “explosive” and “dynamic” offense we all heard the Dolphins could possibly be, hopefully will show up on Sunday, if not it could be a cold day in Minnesota for Miami, and we all know how great the Dolphins have been in the “cold” over the years.